UK casino enthusiasts are faced with an insane palette of online operators that provide service to local players. That makes it rather difficult for them to decide where they should be playing. Just by looking at the dizzying number of websites offering games of luck out there, you immediately realize that finding the best one is going to be a serious task. Recognising the best UK online casinos is very important to all. Many of the casinos advertise themselves falsely and fail to deliver what they’ve promised, while some others, at the same time, prove to be secret gems. To make the long story short, on this website and this page you will find out:

how to differentiate between good and bad online operators

clarification of the legal situation and licensing of casinos in the UK

which software is used most often by the casino operators

In determining the best casinos in the UK, the following aspects of security and game selection are crucial:Valid gambling licenceSecure payment processingCertified and fair RNGLarge game selection

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How To Tell the Difference between Good and Bad Online Casinos

Differentiating a good from a bad operator can actually be a pretty simple task, because it’s common knowledge in the online gaming community that an online casino needs to be licensed above all. So, if you find out that a particular provider doesn’t hold a valid licence issued from the UK Gambling Commission, you can stop right there and forget about that casino. Forget about joining it and never take it into future consideration. Players who don’t reside in the UK can also trust casinos licensed in other reputable jurisdiction, such as the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta and several others in the EU, but since November 1, 2014, all British customers need to make sure their chosen operators are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

This is absolutely the first thing that you need to look for in a UK operator, because a licence means the casino is safe, regulated by the authorities, and most of all, that it is a serious enterprise. The licence information can be found in the footer of any trusted internet casino where the logo or the regulating body will appear. If you click on it, you will be led to the specific page where you can check the details. Another place to find the information is the Terms-and-Conditions section that each casino has. Or, you can just browse through resourceful websites such as this one in order to find information whether the casino has been flagged as licensed and look for opinions by other gamers.

Another thing is transparency and safety. Transparency means that the casino is willing to disclose its monthly payout rates across all games and that it subjects its games to monthly audits for fairness. These reports are performed by reputable third-party independent organizations such as GLI, TST etc., and are put for display on the casino website. The certificates prove that the games are safe to play and their outcomes are fair. More Information on the best casino sites @bestcasino.co.uk

One of the biggest organisations and independent authorities that care for the casino players’ well being is eCOGRA. When you see eCOGRA’s seal of approval on a website, you can rest assured that the casino is perfectly safe. eCOGRA makes sure that the operator conducts responsibly towards their customers, that the players are protected and that there is fair gaming policy by making the casino adhere to certain standards set up by eCOGRA.

Legal Situation for Players from the UK

Can UK players play in any online casino? – It is completely legal for UK players to play online, yet individual casinos have their own policy regarding admittance of players from certain geographical regions. For example, the majority of casino websites don’t allow US players to register and deposit money with them because of the strict US legislation regarding online gambling. However, UK players don’t have that problem and they are free to register and gamble anywhere as long as their chosen brand accepts them and doesn’t have any specific restrictions.

Is there a specific licence needed for the UK? – The body that regulates online gambling in the UK is the Gambling Commission, which has proposed a set of rules and regulations that pertain to regulating and licensing of online operators. So, all casinos that want to serve UK players, need to pay licensing fees and taxes to the UK. Quite naturally, casinos weren’t too happy with that, but the most serious providers didn’t want to lose their UK player pool and motioned for licensing. That is how you may distinguish the earnest ones from the scam.

How are the gambling licences obtained? – It’s simple: the online casino submits its full documentation to the UK Gambling Commission for assessment. There is a period of evaluation during which the application is assessed according to a set of rules, such as the identity of the owners, their financial circumstances, whether or not they have had some criminal record and so on. Based on that assessment, the Commission decides if the operator can do business with UK casino players. After that, the Gambling Commission makes sure that the casino adheres to the licensing objectives and that it understands the UK legislation well.

The Best Casino Software Providers

UK online casinos are generally powered by top notch software providers, such as Playtech and Microgaming, but others also, like NetEnt and Dragonfish. Most often, developers have both instant-play and download platforms on offer. You can read more specific details about no download casinos in this article. Below are the top software companies that work closely with the majority of UK casinos.

PlayTech is a first-class software provider, responsible for powering countless gaming websites. Playtech software is known for games with huge progressive jackpots, for the branded Marvel slots and the unique blackjack variants, as well as for the full palette of live dealer games that can be played on any Android or iOS device. Since the founding of the company in 1999 in Estonia, Playtech has grown by leaps and bounds, and today it is one of the primary partners of online casinos thanks to its innovative approach. Playtech is also dominant in the online poker sector with its iPoker network.

Microgaming is the company that started the entire phenomenon of online gaming. It is the oldest and biggest software provider of casino games. This trail-blazer was launched in 1994 and immediately helped in launching the first ever online casino. It has one of the biggest game libraries containing more than 750 unique casino games and twice as many variations of those same games. Microgaming is also responsible for the biggest progressive jackpot ever given in the industry, including the largest ever mobile win, and the largest ever bingo win. This company has made many players happy.

NetEntertainment also known as NetEnt, has been around since the very beginning, being launched in 1996, but it was only recently that it received prominence for its achievements. NetEnt software is one of the gems in the industry. In a short space of time it successfully climbed the ladder and became a multi-award-winning company for plenty of different accomplishments in the industry. One such achievement was being awarded the Innovator of the Year for 2014 by IGA. NetEnt is currently the leader in developing 3D video slots and is responsible for popular slots like Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Mega Fortune etc. All in all, there are over 200 games in their portfolio.

Dragonfish software is developed by the eponymous independent B2B division of 888. It was established in 2007, and it is here to give an additional competitive edge in the industry. The company claims to have over 1,000 games on offer, all verticals counting. In the field of casino it features anything from classic to video slots, going through progressives, live dealer games, video poker, table games, as well as branded games. Their live dealer games are available in over 18 languages. The platform that this company offers is of relatively high quality, although the games have graphics with somewhat lower quality compared to the software platforms previously mentioned.

Questions and Answers Regarding Online Casinos

Are my personal data safe in an online casino?
Undoubtedly, because the software that providers use comes with technology that keeps all personal and financial data protected from being hacked and stolen. This is usually the SSL encryption technology used by big financial institutions that deal with online transactions. Your task is to make sure that the casino where you want to deposit and thus provide sensitive data such as credit card numbers etc., has this sort of protection. Although, as long as it uses reputable software and has a strong reputation of being a safe casino, your data will be safe, too. You can easily recognise if a website uses SSL encryption, because it will have the “https://” prefix before its domain name.

Are there any disadvantages of playing with a big casino bonus?
It is true that some offers look very tasty and lucrative. There could be a weakness of that deal, however. You should remember that all casino bonuses come with certain wagering requirements. Those usually expect you to playthrough your bonus amount a given number of times, before requesting a withdrawal. Quite logically, the higher the bonus, the more money you will need to wager in order to cash out the winnings you hope to make with it. Another thing is that your casino bonus will always come with some validity. That means you have a period of time to satisfy the wagering conditions, or you will lose any outstanding bonus amounts you have.

Why do I have to verify my identity before the first cashout?
There are casino players who use fake or stolen identity, or stolen credit cards in order to play at online casinos and make withdrawals. For the company to be able to detect these players, they employ simple measures such as identity verification. This identity verification includes sending scanned ID, passport or other identification documents, or simply a utility bill. The data is compared with that given upon registration in order to see if it’s true and if any other players use the same identity. After this initial verification all your future cashouts will be accomplished without this process.

Can I play for free and without signup in online casinos?
Yes, you can and this is one of the best things about them. You are not required to register or spend money to play the most beloved online casino games. Very useful for practice purposes or just for simply having some authentic casino fun, it is usually called fun, practice, demo or free play. Of course, free play is not possible at brick-and-mortar casinos. When you are in demo mode, you don’t use real money to make the wagers. The game runs with fun money, credits or chips and, of course, you cannot make any withdrawal of your winnings.

How can I know that the games are fair and secure?
All reputable online casinos need to use RNG that is checked regularly for its random outcomes. There is one way to know if the games at a particular casino are fair and secure, and that is by seeing if the casino has the eCOGRA seal of approval, or whether it bears the logo of some other independent auditing agency such as iTech Labs or GLI. Such information is usually displayed at the bottom of a casino’s website. By clicking on the appropriate logo you can view the report and certification of the testing agency.

Why are there different payout rates in the different casinos?
Each casino has its own payout rates because each casino makes a different number of payouts which affects the overall percentage. This also varies with time. Some casinos during some months make fewer or less frequent payouts and others make more. The fewer the payouts the lower the payout rates are, and the other way around, the higher the payouts the better the payout rates. They can also be offset by substantial payouts made in the casino, for example, a progressive jackpot or a series of smaller but numerous jackpots.